Tag Archive for Motivation

Challenge Time. That’s right! December is going to be fun. Coach Demitrius is currently in his second month of the “Junk Food Challenge” and is doing exceptionally well. Along with over 100 of our fans he has made the commitment to better his diet and inspire others. I too have been inspired and have decided that it’s about time I challenge myself and battle one of my demons. My cholesterol!

Three years ago I saw my physician for a routine checkup. He went through his normal routine and everything checked out o.k. Before I left they drew some blood to send off to the lab. It seemed routine and I was not worried about it one bit. Then I received a call a couple weeks later. He informed me that my cholesterol levels were “High” for someone my age. I was shocked. How was that possible? I have been an athlete all my life. I just spent nearly 5 years in the Marine Corps. (We exercised a lot!) I still sustain a moderate level of physical activity. I’m only 26 years old and I maintain a fairly healthy diet. It didn’t make any sense to me. My Doc suggested that I start attending “Heart Smart” classes. “I’m not doing that,” I told myself. I’ll cut out my rare and random trips to the fast food joints and that should be enough.

Well…… It wasn’t! About a year later I went into the lab for more blood work and guess what? Yep, you guessed it. Blood Cholesterol levels were still high. And to my amazement they actually went up. Let’s fast forward about 2 years to this past July. (5 months ago)

Different Doctor, same results! Except for this time the number was the highest it has been in the last 3 years. “Are you kidding me,” I told myself. I have cut out fast food, cut way back on fried foods, I’ll have an occasional steak, and I work out several days a week. I have also been supplementing with fiber tablets and fish oil (omega-3). Well it wasn’t enough. The new Doctor informed me that the synthesis of cholesterol in my body was more than likely hereditary. Now the Doc is recommending that I take Lipitor (a cholesterol lowering medication) in order to get my levels in check. Well, I refused. I don’t want to take some pill for the rest of my life. I’ll just do more to finally take care of this issue. Read more

A few months back our very own Coach Snaer wrote an article titled Fat, Lazy, and Full Of Excuses. In his article he identified various excuses that individuals use to get out of exercising and presented solutions to their “so called” problems.

This article is a continuation of his. Read along as I reiterate and challenge some of the common excuses we hear on a daily basis.

I Have To Watch Young & The Restless

No you don’t! You choose to. You have made TV a priority. It’s not that important. It’s not nearly as important as your health. How is it that you can squeeze in television time during your day, but you cant find time to workout. If for some reason you absolutely can not go a day without watching your favorite soap or reality show, then you need to be creative with your time. Here is an idea…….work out during the commercials! Or better yet….record the darn show. This way you can watch it while fast forwarding through the commercials. That 20 minutes you just saved yourself, use it to workout!

Spending Time With My Kids Is More Important

I agree…..to an extent. If the circumstances only allowed me a short period of time to spend with my kids, I would choose to do so over working out. If it became routine, I would incorporate the two. I would workout WITH my kids. Basketball, tag, dancing, and running are great examples of activities you can do with your children. Knock out two birds with one stone. Spend time with your family and participate in activities that improve both yours and their overall health.

I’m Skinny. I Don’t Need To Workout

Wrong! This is a huge misconception. You may not feel as if you need to log workout hours for cosmetic reasons, but your health is probably suffering. Skinny Does Not Mean Healthy. A research study by the Mayo Clinic discovered that as many as 30 Million Americans who are believed to have a normal BMI, have a dangerously high percentage of body fat. See their article here. So what does this mean. Just because you “appear” to be “healthy” when looking in the mirror, you may be placing yourself at risk of heart disease and other ailments due to your lack of exercise. Use our BMI calculator in the left hand column of our site to calculate your BMI. Just remember, regardless of where it indexes you, you still need to be exercising!

I Eat Right. That Is Good Enough

Not it’s not! That is only half the equation. Would you follow up a great exercise session with a super-sized meal from McDonalds? Some people would. But the answer is probably no. A two pronged attack is much more beneficial for your overall health. Are you working to obtain your ideal body? If so, then just doing one or the other (exercise/diet) is not enough. By being proficient at both, you will be well on your way to a new you.

It Is Too Hot/Cold Outside

Wow! Sounds like something a 4th grader would say to get out of P.E. class. Too hot outside? Work out during the cooler parts of the day. Wake up early or wait till the evening. Or, throw on a video and exercise in your air conditioned living room. Too cold outside? Dress in layers! (long sleeve, sweater, beanie, gloves, etc.) As your body temp rises from working out you can remove some of the layers. Or, throw on a video and exercise in your warm living room.

Hopefully by now you have realized that we don’t like “excuse makers” here at HealthyFitFamilies. We want you to be the Healthiest you that you can possibly be. We want you to be the role model for your family. We know that your journey to a New You can be rough, but we know that it is possible. You just have to kill your excuses.

Do you have an excuse that you would like us to challenge? Do you continuously hear others make excuses and have challenged them yourself? We would like to hear your comments. Use the comment box below and lets eradicate as many excuses as we can!

Watch the video. Sweat! Then let us know how the “Killer Circuit” worked for you? Leave a comment below.

Do you ever find yourself sitting in front of the computer or television, neglecting your kids for hours on end?

After a long day of work do you come home and just plop your butt on the couch?

It can be quite easy to allow a full day to pass you by. Then at night when you are tucking your kids into bed you realize that you didn’t spend the amount of time with them that you should have.

Well……..I have the answer. Kill two birds with one stone. There is no need to find a babysitter. Don’t worry about whether or not the gym’s day care is open. Work out with your kids. Or…….use your kids for the work out. With a little creativity you can engage in activities that are Fit For You and Fun For Them.

Here are a few examples:

(Shoulder Ride) Lunges

(Yeeeeaaaa!!) Chest Presses

(Piggy Back) Squats

(Give Me A Kiss) Curls

Check out this video we shot at a local park:

Working out with your children is a great way to stay in shape and spend quality time with them. Use the weight of your child as resistance to increase the intensity of your training. The occasional laugh or giggle will certainly help keep your mind off of the pain. You will also be amazed at how your children take on the role of the personal trainer.

“One more time Mommy,” and “again Daddy,” are common commands!

Working out with your children or “with” your children is a win/win situation for everyone. Get off the couch, head to the park, enjoy the time with your kids, and get your butt in shape.

Do you have a great work out that you do with your kids? Please share your creative ideas with everyone. Feel free to comment belwow.

Each year over 600,000 people die of heart disease. It’s the leading cause of death for both men and women. (cdc.gov)

Many people go through extreme measures to keep their homes safe from burglary and themselves safe in cars but do absolutely nothing to keep their bodies safe from preventable chronic illnesses. It is time we get serious about this!

Saying, “I don’t have time,” is actually saying, “It’s not a priority.” If your health isn’t a priority, what is? Take a second to reflect on what you do make time for. Are you texting during times that you could be exercising? Are you talking on the phone when you could be jogging? Are you watching television when you could be watching television and working out at the same time? Is it possible that you have decided that the new gossip on Grey’s is more important than getting control of your health?

Hypertension or high blood pressure is called the silent killer because about 1/3 of the people with it, do not know they have it. Some people completely avoid the doctor or that blood pressure monitor in Walgreens, because they are afraid to know the truth. Are you one of them? Just because you don’t know, doesn’t mean it won’t kill you. Hypertension is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Although it is silent, it is easy to detect by having your blood pressure checked. It is also one of the very few risk factors of heart disease and stroke that is treatable.

So how do you treat hypertension? First, have your blood pressure checked at least once a year by a doctor. The rest is quite simple. Start eating a healthy diet, stop smoking, exercise often, and reduce your salt intake.

So why don’t you have time for your health? Think about all the family and friends who love you and don’t want to lose you to such a preventable illness. Do it for yourself and for them. Start right now. Not tomorrow, not in an hour, RIGHT NOW!

“Women are here to serve men. They need to wait hand and foot on their better halves. Women exercise because they don’t want to get traded in for their better looking best friend. Women have a specific role and they need to realize that.”

These were the comments I overheard while eaves dropping on two meatheads at the gym. Two DUMB meatheads I should add. It was obvious that neither had an education nor really understood a woman’s worth.

Now I know what you are thinking. Those guys are idiots and no girl in their right mind would date either one of them. That’s what I was thinking too. But to my amazement, two young women approached them while they were working out. I heard one of the young ladies ask one of the guys “are you ready to go?” What came out of his mouth is going to blow your mind and is ultimately what led me to write this article.

His response: “I’ll come get you when I’m ready. Keep working out. Have you even lost any weight yet.”

The sad part about it was that she was in no way overweight. Even sadder though, she responded back by saying “I was on the elliptical for 30 minutes, but I guess I can do more.”

I could not believe this attractive young woman allowed this guy to treat her like that. He had her conditioned to believe that she wasn’t good enough. I don’t know for certain, but he probably also had her believing he was some type of Greek God. (Sorry dude, the receding hair line, the weight you should be losing, and the orange glow from your spray tan says otherwise)

Why do some women allow men to place them in an inferior role? Why do some women feel the need to put their needs and wishes second to their partners? When did looking good for some idiot take precedence over feeling loved and respected?

I would like to tell all you ladies – Know Your Role!

Your role just so happens to be standing tall and proud NEXT to your partner. You should never feel as if you need to walk a step behind. Is he trying to take too much of the spotlight? Pull his butt back. Also, you should never have to feel ashamed because of some snide comment he makes. Do not stand for that.

Do you need to lose weight? Do you want to lose weight? You make that decision. Ask for his support, not his criticism.

And men, if you have something to say, make sure you are saying it for the right reason. I never get on my wife for eating fast food because I’m worried about how she’ll look in a bikini. I get on her because I do not want to be raising grandchildren solo someday because I lost her to heart disease.

So women, it is about time you realize how precious you are. It is about time you realize your role. In my opinion you are God’s greatest creation followed by man. Your man does not own you. Your weight loss journey, your life journey, will be much more rewarding if you embark on it standing tall and proud next to your partner. Take your rightful place next to him as a Queen. Remove your shackles and let him know you are no longer his servant. Remove yourself from his shadow. Do it for yourself, do it for your family. Know your role!

9 million people watched the Season 3 Finale of Jersey Shore. Although I wasn’t one of them, I do think there are life lessons everyone can learn from the cast. Honestly!

Gym: need I say more? Make it a priority to head to the gym 3 days a week. Don’t have time for the gym? Buy a few 3-12 pound dumbbells and turn your living room into a gym. Dont have money for dumbbells? Grab a couple cans of non-perishables and use those. Or you can try this Body Weight Circuit in your back yard.

Tan: moderate sun exposure helps produce Vitamin D which promotes bone health. Studies also suggest that sunlight hitting the skin and eyes, shakes wintertime blues. It is important that we reiterate, moderate sun exposure is beneficial whereas over exposure can be very detrimental and put one at risk of Skin Cancer. 15-20 minutes of occasional sun exposure without the use of sunblocks has been proven to be beneficial.

Laundry: many major germs and bacteria live on dirty gym clothes. Wash gym clothes soon after working out. Don’t forget to toss the gym bag in the washer as well as many germs live and grow there.

So there you have it. The HealthyFitFamilies crew finds life lessons on The Jersey Shore.